A 2018 Inroads Screenwriting Fellow, to be precise.

For his Sci-Fi Screenplay Cyborn.

Some of you may recall that Cyborn was a writers' choice in MarkItZero (James') Quickie Challenge.

I hope Mark doesn't mind if I just relay his message to me.  

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Hi Don,

I just wanted to share some good news with you and the SS guys. My short script Cyborn has just won the 2018 Inroads Fellowship Award....which is HUGE!

Cyborn came out of the quickie challenge on the website back in March. It won and I was so proud of it, I remember asking you to take it down so I could enter it into competitions...which you kindly agreed to.

Since then I've entered it into a few but I was disheartened at first as it failed to even get into the qualifying stages of Shore Scripts. I had similar rejections from the UK Film Festival 3 minute film competition and several others. I thought nothing was going to come of this and then suddenly, out of the blue today, I won one of the biggest writing competitions on the planet.

http://screenwritingfellowship.org/2018-winners/4594269365

I just want to thank you and the rest of the guys on the forum. I've pretty much honed my craft on those boards. Every success I've had has come out of one of the OWC's either directly with me entering them into competitions (like The Broken Kingdom from the last (two) week challenge which has won two awards so far and is in the Austin Comedy Film Festival next week) or via someone reading the script and enquiring if I had others, or from me then taking the short and developing it into a longer piece.  

- Mark

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No surprises here. A great writer.

Congrats, Mark.

Nice going, Mark! Truly awesome news. Congrats!!

Well done Mark!

Lol - Thanks guys.

I meant what I said. I've learned more on these boards that I have reading any screenwriting book or script. The brutal but honest feedback and brilliant suggestions have been priceless.

The OWC's are one of the few things that gets my arse in gear and focused. Left to my own devices and no deadline I can procrastinate forever.

You know how much I loved Broken Kingdom and Cyborn.

You bloody little beauty! That's Aussie for well done and blessings on your family.  

So, you off to LA? Or taking the cash prize?

Congratulations, well done!

Big congrats, Mark! Happy for you. Very deserving and not at all surprising.

Nice one, Mark.

Quoted from LC You know how much I loved Broken Kingdom and Cyborn. You bloody little beauty! That's Aussie for well done and blessings on your family.   So, you off to LA? Or taking the cash prize?

Gotta love the Aussie sayings!

It's a bit early days, only found out I'd won yesterday. They want to ring me up for a chat, so just arranging that at the moment. I'd love to go to LA if I could, it's such a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Huge congratulations! Some writers stick out from the crowd. You're one of them.  

Wow...nice!

Congrats!

Awesome!!!

Awesome news - congrats

Nicely done.  Congratulations.

Congratulations Mark! Thats brilliant news!

lol, the subject for this post as shown on the home page for me on the message boards says Mark Renshaw is a fuck.... so I had to click this.

Great job, Mark! 100% agree on your thoughts about this place and always stoked to see one of our own succeed at any level. Congrats!

Quoted from CameronD lol, the subject for this post as shown on the home page for me on the message boards says Mark Renshaw is a fuck.... so I had to click this.

I thought had something to do with my screen size. Thought it was just a funny coincidence, nice to see it’s visible to all

Congrats Mark, your success is definitely not a coincidence!

Congrats, Mark! Cyborn was an awesome little short. Well deserved!

That's great - you must be well chuffed. Congratulations!

This means there's no way I can get to read it, right?

I've been away and off this board for a while... And I think this one was from before my time anyway. Would love to read it, is all.

Quoted from Shakey That's great - you must be well chuffed. Congratulations! This means there's no way I can get to read it, right? I've been away and off this board for a while... And I think this one was from before my time anyway. Would love to read it, is all.

I've sent you a link to it in a PM

Quoted from MarkRenshaw I've sent you a link to it in a PM

Hi Mark, I'd love to read the updated version if it's different from the quickie challenge. Was a great script to start with.

Thanks for sharing Mark.

Well, that's a great case of a lot done in a very few pages! Well done on the well deserved win!!!

It sets up a world efficiently. It sets up several characters efficiently. It creates action, interest and also emotion efficiently.

And - personal favourite - it's filmable without crazy budget or complexity. Maybe special effects, or even maybe not. The value of the content doesn't rely on a particular production 'look'.

Ultra short things eh... V nice.

Quoted from Warren Hi Mark, I'd love to read the updated version if it's different from the quickie challenge. Was a great script to start with.

It's more or less the same as the OWC. I just polished it and fixed typos.

Quoted from Shakey Thanks for sharing Mark. Well, that's a great case of a lot done in a very few pages! Well done on the well deserved win!!! It sets up a world efficiently. It sets up several characters efficiently. It creates action, interest and also emotion efficiently. And - personal favourite - it's filmable without crazy budget or complexity. Maybe special effects, or even maybe not. The value of the content doesn't rely on a particular production 'look'. Ultra short things eh... V nice.

Thanks. I agree as well about it not costing a fortune to produce but so far I've not been able to attract anyone to produce it. It's a shame as I think this would completely own at the film festival circuit.

BTW - I'm turning it into a feature length version. Up to page 58 and loving writing it so far.

Quoted from MarkRenshaw It's more or less the same as the OWC. I just polished it and fixed typos. BTW - I'm turning it into a feature length version. Up to page 58 and loving writing it so far.

Not a problem. I look forward to reading the feature if it makes its way to SS.